Arnold s Liverpool departure

Trent Alexander Arnold has made up his mind to sue Arne Slot in person.

During the international game break in March, the Liverpool right-back was recovering from an ankle injury injured in the second leg of the Champions League round of 16 with Paris Saint-Germain, and met the Dutchman.

Alexander Arnold told Slott that he decided to leave the club he had played for since childhood after his contract expired at the end of the season. He explained that at this stage of his career, he felt the need to step out of his comfort zone and meet new challenges.

Slott expressed his disappointment, but expressed respect for the vice captain's decision. “You are an important part of this team, let’s put a perfect end to this season together,” Slott told him.

After receiving the assurance of the head coach, once he is back to health, as Liverpool approaches the Premier League championship glory, he will still be entrusted with an important task, Alexander Arnold responded: "My mentality and commitment will not change. I will continue to do my best for this club until the last day."

Around the same time in March, Alexander Arnold's representative formally informed Liverpool's sports director Richard Hughes that he would not sign a new contract at Anfield.

Considering that negotiations on renewal had actually ended earlier this month, the club was not surprised by this, Alexander Arnold then took some time to make the final decision. He was determined to keep the news secret until he won the championship to avoid unnecessary interference to the team.

Now, eight days after Anfield's 5-1 victory over Tottenham, the official confirmation about his upcoming departure has finally arrived.

Out of respect for Liverpool and the fact that his long-term contract with Real Madrid has not yet been signed, Alexander Arnold has not confirmed his whereabouts, but he is about to make his debut at the Bernabeu next season.

This ended his 20-year relationship with Liverpool, dating back to his first youth training camp at the age of six. He has realized his dream, made more than 350 appearances, winning the Champions League, two Premier League titles, the FA Cup, two League Cups, the European Super Cup and the Club World Cup, but now, a emotional farewell is coming.

The media spoke with several anonymous people who knew about Alexander Arnold to answer key questions surrounding his decision to leave.

How did Liverpool and its owner, Fenway Sports Group, get to this point that one of their most valuable assets will leave for free at its peak? When did Real Madrid's charm offensive really begin?

In the end, why did Alexander Arnold decide to leave?

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The summer of 2023 is an important node for Trent Alexander Arnold. This was the last two years of his first career to enter the contract.

Previously, he signed a renewal in July 2017, January 2019 and July 2021, respectively, and Liverpool rewarded his growth and his increasingly important contribution to the team by improving the terms of the contract.

Juergen Klopp appointed Alexander Arnold as vice captain after James Milner left the team. He was looking forward to Liverpool's renewal negotiations before the 2023-2024 season, but this did not happen.

Anfield experienced significant upheavals behind the scenes. Julian Ward resigned from his position as athletic director just one year after taking over Michael Edwards. Liverpool temporarily handed the position to Jorg Schmaderk if it was unable to find a suitable long-term successor. The German executive was recalled from retirement due to recommendations from Klopp's agent Mark Kosick.

Schmadek claims to be Klopp's "assistant", and his focus is on negotiating transfer deals as the club is undergoing a midfield reconstruction. The contract renewal issue has been put on hold.

Then, in November 2023, Klopp told Fenway Sports Group president Mike Gordon that he was exhausted and would leave after the end of the season.

Once Klopp publicly announces the news in two months, it is clear that everything will be put on hold until Liverpool's direction of development is clear. No player is willing to make a promise easily without knowing who will take over and how he is in his plan.

With Gordon himself hoping to retreat behind the scenes, he successfully convinced Edwards to return with greater responsibility in March 2024 to serve as Football CEO of Fenway Sports Group. His first mission was to introduce Richard Hughes from Bournemouth as athletic director. Hughes' initial focus was to lead the search for Klopp's successor and to recruit Arne Slotte from Feyenoord.

However, Hughes' first call at work was actually to introduce himself to Alexander Arnold's team. At the end of April last year, negotiations on the new contract were launched, and a preliminary offer was made at the end of the month. Alexander Arnold understands why Liverpool took so long to get into the negotiating table background, but as he approached his last year, he privately began to doubt whether the 2024-2025 season would be his last season at the club.

Interest from Real Madrid has long been known, and he questioned in his heart whether Liverpool really wants to keep him with all his strength. In the following months, a series of subsequent offers made by Hughes eased his doubts. If accepted, this will make Alexander Arnold one of the highest-paid full-backs in the Premier League and even the world. By then, however, Alexander Arnold was already considering the possibility of traveling to Spain to develop.

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"Listen, I've been at the club for 20 years. I've signed four or five contract extensions, and none of them are made public. This time, there's no exception." Trent Alexander Arnold told reporters after Liverpool's 3-0 home win over Bournemouth in September. He played for Liverpool with pain relief injections after he was injured in England against Finland last October. Afterwards, he worked hard to recover and returned to the field early after an ankle injury against Paris Saint-Germain in mid-March.

So when he beat Leicester City away on April 20 and scored the winning goal, his emotions burst. Through action rather than words, he proved himself still committed to helping the club win the 20th top league title.

"Let the headlines capture his great goals instead of contract situations," Slott told reporters after the game. "It would be ridiculous if anyone questioned his commitment to the club."

Previously, his own trained players Steve McManaman and Michael Irving left Anfield to transfer to Real Madrid in pursuit of glory, but Alexander Arnold's situation was different because he had won the league title under Slott.

So why leave? He feels he has achieved all the set goals at Liverpool. At the age of 26, he decided on the right time to test his abilities in a new environment. Earlier in the season, he spoke about hopes to be the first fullback to win the Golden Globes, and he believes new challenges can help unlock his full potential. He wants to experience life and competition in Madrid and prove himself from scratch. A close relationship with friend Jude Bellingham should help him adapt.

As Alexander Arnold became a free agent, this means there will be a generous signing fee, but money has never been the driving factor for Alexander Arnold. If so, from January 1, he will attract quotes from all over Europe and consider interest from the Premier League.

Ultimately, it doesn't matter what Liverpool provides financially. Even if an additional £5 million is provided every year, there is no strong bitterness or resentment between the two sides. His respect for Hughes is obvious, who took over a tricky situation a year ago and did everything he could to convince him to stay.

From Liverpool's point of view, the lengthy negotiations were polite and constructive, but increasingly obvious that the agreement could not be reached. They couldn't give him what he needed - a new challenge.

Alexander Arnold maintains the record of the most assists in the Premier League defender, with a total of 64 times. After Anfield’s victory over Tottenham and locked in the championship, he was fully committed to the celebration.

When the fans were singing "The Scothers in our team" he stepped forward to accept the fans' praise. He stood in front of his supporters and stretched out his arms before patting his heart. Some speculate that this scene could lead to a dramatic reversal of the situation, but for Alexander Arnold, it was a perfect ending.

Later that night, he had a warm exchange with Liverpool's main boss John W. Henry. Henry told him: "You are an excellent player in this team, and I can't express my gratitude for your contribution to the club in words. It's disappointing to see you leave, but I hope you will be well in the future." Alexander Arnold replied: "Thank you for everything, it's a great experience."

On the corner of Sybil Road, a few streets away, there is a huge mural of Alexander Arnold on the wall, next to a sentence: "I'm just an ordinary guy from Liverpool, my dreams come true."

He said these words after defeating Tottenham Hotspur in the 2019 Champions League final. Now, his story will be continued in the Spanish capital.